Here lately I’ve been looking around my apartment at all the stuff for Baby M and its overwhelming knowing that I could officially become a mother any minute! I always wanted to become a mother at a younger age but it still doesn’t feel real. With all the craziness lately, it was so so nice to receive this Babbleboxx full of baby/mama things! Some things I’ve already tried but some I will be trying once baby boy actually arrives.

Playtex Nursing Bra

So I’m not going to lie, I was totally against breastfeeding at first and always have been. Mostly for selfish reasons but halfway through my pregnancy that changed and I found myself really wanting to try. One of the number one tips from other mamas I’ve found when researching breastfeeding is to get the comfiest/best nursing bra! I’m so exciting to have this one from Playtex. It’s super comfy while providing lots of support. Super easy to unbuckle when needed. I got the pretty shaping foam style. Love that it has a cool comfort fabric too!

Mamas can never have enough bags to store stuff in! This one from lands’ end not only has so many compartments but the print is so adorable. You’ll never run out of room with this bag. The straps are adjustable to make it easy to carry and hang on your stroller!

It’s so important to know what exactly you are putting on your baby’s skin. This lotion not only smells amazing (just like a baby!) but is hypoallergenic and made from 97% natural origin. It helps lock the moisture into the baby skin. I tried it on myself and oh my goodness, it’s great! Will definitely be a repurchase for me when my baby boy gets here. You can get 20% off your purchase with code: BABBLEBOX17.

This brand has always been one of my favs for little ones! Not only do they have the cutest outfits but they are so soft and comfy for baby. They carry sizes up to 5t. Surprisingly, I haven’t bought too many outfits yet but that’s mainly because our baby boy is measuring big so I have no idea what size he is going to end up in! I have a few things in my shopping cart on their site though. They have a discount offer right now: 20% off $40+ purchase (online code: OKBG3352 or retail: 036992).

After graduating college, I was determined to invest in great skincare products! I was so excited to try out this serum, especially because I’ve always heard great things about Vichy. One of the most important things is keeping your skin hydrated and this product feels great on your skin. I also love the cooling affect it has plus strengthens your skin. I wash my face and moisturize atleast twice a day! You can receive 20% off and free shipping with code: BabbleBoxx.

Once I received this product, I went and did some research! I found amazing reviews and seriously so lucky I received this product. One thing that makes your little one so uncomfortable is diaper rash so anything that helps I’m all about. I don’t want to settle for anything besides the best for my little boy!

I had never heard of this product before and honestly, can’t wait to use it! It’s such a great idea. Keeps your baby and yourself protected from harsh weather and harmful rays. It’s adjustable, which I love, so it will go great with lots of different strollers! I’m planning on taking plenty of walks with my baby boy so this product will get used a ton. You can get free shipping on your Mumbrella with code: BABBLEBOXX.

I haven’t stopped looking at these maternity photos since I got them! Alexandria did amazing and I couldn’t have asked for more amazing photos. My dress is from one of my favorite boutiques but is sold out unfortunately. You can sign up here to get notified when/if it comes back in stock! Its such a perfect dress for fall and seriously so soft ya’ll! For my makeup, I used the Jaclyn Hill X Morphe Palette and linked my lip color above! These ABC pants are Levi’s fav and he ravs about them every time he wears them. Also, if you are looking for a great pair of dress shoes for your boyfriend, husband, brother, etc. these are so nice and go with so much.

For anyone who is looking for a great spot for maternity or engagement photos, we took these at Old Mill Park in Roswell, GA. Walking is getting a little difficult so we barley went into the park but they have an amazing waterfall that would be beautiful in photos! I definitely want to go back here for other photos.

With the first day of fall coming this Friday, I wanted to share a few of my fav fall looks from last year! A lot of stuff is still in stock and even on sale this year. One of my favs is my brown motto jacket and it’s on sale for under $70! I’m such a fan of slouchy sweaters and OTK boots for fall, seriously can’t get enough. All of the sweaters you see below are in stock!

It’s been several weeks since my last bumpdate and with my due date approaching fast, I thought I’d do another one! It’s crazy that this will probably be my last bumpdate blog post. I feel like I just announced that I was pregnant and now he could be here any day, so crazy!

How far along are you?

34 weeks and 5 days.

How are you feeling?

Honestly, pretty rough. I do have spurts of energy which I love. I feel like I can’t sleep enough lol so I’m taking lots of naps. My ribs are constantly on fire which I think is from his feet being in there and also getting too full when eating meals. There is literally no more room in there! Levi (my fiancé) has been adjusting my back and neck literally everyday which has helped a lot. My feet and hands have been swelling on and off quite a bit too! Baby boy has officially dropped a lot so I’m feeling a lot of pressure on my bladder which means I’m making 100000 trips to the bathroom, haha. I’m also having a lot of random lightening pain in random areas.

Update on Gestational Diabetes?

Okay, so if you’ve been following me then you know a few weeks ago I was hospitalized for 5 days. It sucked. During that time, they noticed baby boy was measuring extremely big so they determined I had gestational diabetes. I was absolutely devastated. I felt like I had done something wrong and it was the worst feeling. Well, I spent 3-4 weeks dieting hard and checking my sugar 4 times a day. I was beating myself up so bad when I had a spike after eating and honestly was miserable. Like everyone could tell I was a different person. After those 3-4 weeks, I had a check up appointment and my OB told me he didn’t believe I had gestational diabetes and to stop with everything. I left feeling happy and relieved but also confused. We don’t know my due date exactly, it could be off 1-2 weeks, so baby isn’t measuring as big as we originally thought which is great news!

How are you sleeping?

Bad and good. Seriously, some nights I sleep like a rock (besides getting up to pee lol) and some nights I swear it feels like I sleep like 30 minutes. I sleep with a pillow between my legs which helps a lot.

Stretch Marks yet?

I got my first stretch mark last week and almost had a panic attack. It’s in a spot that nobody will ever see it but still, it sucks getting your first one! I did notice that it showed up on a spot where I hadn’t really focused on putting my stretch mark creams! My belly, thighs, chest, literally everything has been itching like crazy and I’ve always heard itching means stretch marks are soon behind unfortunately!

Weight Gain?

As of last week, 25 pounds. For my size, normal weight gain is 25-35 pounds.

Looking forward to?

My OB appointment next Wednesday! I’ll get an ultrasound to see my babe and hopefully get some insight if he thinks baby boy will be coming soon or not!

Traveling?

The last two weekends Levi and I have made the 5 hour trip to KY and they have been MISERABLE! Needless to say, I won’t be leaving GA again until after he is born.

What are you looking forward to the most?

Getting my body back! Honestly, I’m over being pregnant lol. I feel like you either love being pregnant or hate it.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me! I’m an open book.

The Shops at Buckhead have become my favorite place to takes photos! Love the fun walls they have around there. This place was perfect to take these casual date night photos at. My top is maternity and seriously one of my favs! It will go with everything. You can never have too many basic white tops. Levi’s vneck is such a good price and the perfect color for fall.

Life has been crazy lately! I feel like I’ve been a little MIA on social media. Levi and I spent the past two weekend at home. On top of all of that we are preparing for our baby boy to get here which could be any time ya’ll!

I have worn this floral kimono nonstop ever since I got it! It literally goes with so many things. I have worn it with this comfy cami a lot, it matches perfectly. If you are looking for a good basic cami, grab one of these! It comes in lots of colors and is under $10. Plus, it’s perfect for showing off your bump for all you mama to bes! I will be wearing this hat on repeat this fall! It’s the perfect color and looks great with so many things.

This weekend Levi and I are heading to KY. It will be the last time we get to visit our families at home before Baby M gets here which is so crazy to think about!! Tomorrow we have a maternity shoot scheduled and I can’t wait to share the photos with you guys. Also, we have our last baby shower on Sunday!

How adorable is this Branson dress from Ruthie Grace Boutique?! If you don’t follow me on Instagram then you haven’t heard me rave about this boutique but it is one of my favs. They have the cutest styles and the best sales. Unfortunately, this dress is almost sold out but you can sign up to get a notification when it comes back in stock! I wanted to add a touch of fall to this outfit so I paired this super cute hat with it! Mine is sold out but I linked a very similar one above. Also, you guys know I wear these lace up heels on repeat! They go with everything and are super comfy.

Writing this from my own bed and it feels so good! If you read my bumpdate post then you know I was in the hospital for 5 days dealing with some pregnancy issues. The most important thing is Baby M and I are healthy! Hopefully I won’t be back at the hospital again until it’s time to deliver.

Today I wanted to share what to wear to a fall wedding, looks for him and her. This year Levi and I have had so many wedding to attend and a few more this fall. This olive green dress is super cute and perfect for a lot of occasion. The only bad thing is that if you are someone with larger breasts, I DO NOT recommend buying this. It was pretty snug up top for me but you could definitely try sizing up if you love it! I’m wearing a size 4 for reference and this dress is non-maternity. Levi is wearing his fav pants from Lulu, he swears by these!

BTW- you can get 15% off both of our watches with my code: SIMPLYBETHANYXO

As soon as I found out I was pregnant I started researching all kinds of products, brands, etc. I knew I wanted to take care of my skin through this process and prevent any kind of changes I could! The Spoiled Mama seemed to be a fan fav no matter what site I looked on.

I placed an order online and decided on the Tummy Butter to be the first product I tried. This product is to help prevent stretch marks, reduce existing stretch marks, and keep the skin moisturized. The only bad review I read about this product was the smell which I totally agree with! I even read where some women had to have their husbands put it on for them because they couldn’t handle smelling it but I wanted to try it anyways! I was super sick during my first trimester so there were some days I avoided using it because I just didn’t want to smell it. This is the product I’ve used the most during my pregnancy, I’m on the second tub. So far, no stretch marks! I had small stretch marks before being pregnant but they were so minor I haven’t noticed a big difference of those fading. With this stuff, a little goes a long way.

Once I started my third trimester, I wanted to bump up my skincare game and try more things through this company. They were so sweet to send me a great package of goodies.

The first product I use every day is this Indulge Sugar Scrub. While in the shower, I rub it all over my belly and thighs to exfoliate my skin. This stuff smells like Christmas haha! I love how smooth my skin is after.

Once I’m out of the shower, I go in with this Bump Gloss. This stuff makes your skin feel very moisturized! It can be messy so make sure you aren’t dropping any on the floor, etc. I read reviews where some people had issues with their bottles leaking but I’ve had no issues with mine! I rub this into my belly and thighs mainly. After my skin had absorbed most of the oil, I’ll go in with the tummy butter which I talked about above.

During the beginning of my pregnancy, my skin broke out so bad! It was everywhere, including my back, which was very disappointing because I’ve never been one who had to deal with acne much. Lately, I haven’t had a lot of problems with breakouts as much as I have with texture bumps all over my face. Basically small bumps that are the same color as my skin. They are more annoying that anything. Once I do my daily skincare routine (removing makeup, cleansing, exfoliating) I go in with this rehab serum. This stuff is very light on your face and leaves it feeling super moisturized. The serum helps to reduce existing breakouts, helps diminish acne scares, and much more.

Once I’ve massaged the serum into my face, I go in with The Balance Toner. I squirt a few drops onto a cotton roll/ball and dap it on my face. You can also just spray it all over your face from the bottle. This toner will help prevent your pores from getting clogged. In combination with my other skincare routine, I’ve noticed much smoother skin along with less texture bumps!

If you are wanting to try new skin care products for pregnancy, I highly recommend this brand! You can get 10% off your purchase with my code: simplyspoiled10.

Hey ya’ll!
If you follow me on social media then you’ve probably seen where these past few days have been pretty crazy and unexpected. Instead of texting a million people and posting a million statuses, I wanted to do a bumpdate blog post. Wednesday night I was having some concerns so decided to get ahold of the on call OB. After discussing what was going on, she told me to head into the hospital.

I expected to go in, have a few test ran, and then go home. Well this wasn’t the case at all! As soon as she hooked me up to the monitors she said “you are having contractions 3 minutes apart”. I have had cramping throughout my entire pregnancy so it’s been hard to tell what pains are normal and what pains are actual signs of labor. The next thing they checked was the see if my water broke. The OB, nurses, Levi and I all expected this test to come back negative meaning I would go home within a few hours. The OB walked in and said “Well, it was positive. We are keeping you here for the next 3 weeks and will induce you at 34 weeks so you won’t be leaving the hospital without your baby”. I was in absolute shock. I didn’t know whether to cry, laugh, or have a panic attack! I knew there was a chance of me going into labor sooner than expected but not this soon! I was feeling a million emotions and didn’t know what to think.

Wednesday night was miserable. I was on a magnesium sulfate drip (this stuff is horrible), antibiotics, fluids, and was getting 2 steroid shots for the baby’s lungs. If you mommas out there have had the magnesium drip before you know how terrible it is. You feel so hot and flush the whole time, my eyes were so heavy, and it burned where my IV was. I think I got maybe 30 minutes to an hour of sleep that night.

Since I’m still weeks away from my due date, I’m considered high risk. With that being said Thursday morning we had a anatomy scan scheduled. Just to check the fluid around the baby, weight, and all that. To our surprise Baby M is measuring HUGE. I’m only 30-31 weeks and he’s already almost 5 pounds, which was not expected at all. The first thought of our high risk OB was gestational diabetes. Of course in my mind I thought, NO WAY. I just had my glucose test 3 weeks ago and was told I passed with flying colors. Well turns out, I do now have gestational diabetes.
I can’t even explain the feeling I’ve had ever since I heard those words. I’ve cried constantly and all I want to do is go home. Since baby is so big and my blood sugar is extremely high, I’m doing a blood sugar check 4 times a day plus insulin 4 times a day. This is something I’m going to have to do at home (if I ever leave this place) until baby is born. I’ve never been someone to watch her diet because honestly I’ve never had to so this is going to be such a huge change for me. You can’t help but feel responsible somehow even though it’s almost impossible to prevent. If you are going to get gestational diabetes, you’re going to get it.

Today a dietician will be in to show Levi and I how to check my sugar and give myself the insulin. They will also help me learn how to control my diet and when/what to eat. It’s all so confusing.

As far as health goes, baby and I are doing great! I’m praying that when they retest to see if my water has broken the test is negative. If it is, I’ll get to go home on Monday or Tuesday! So keep your fingers crossed for that!

If any of you have dealt with gestational diabetes in your pregnancies, I would love to hear your stories and how you coped!